A Georgia murder trial begins Monday in the case of two metro Atlanta law enforcement officers accused of shooting a man 59 times – some of those shots allegedly fired after he was already incapacitated.
According to authorities, in August of 2016, a fugitive task force showed up at the East Point home of the girlfriend of 26-year-old Jamarion Robinson to arrest him on charges of attempted arson and aggravated assault. Task force members knocked on the door and asked Robinson to exit the apartment. When he did not comply, officers burst through the door.
That’s when Robinson, according to court documents, appeared from the second floor, pointing a gun at the officers. Officers opened fire and continued to shoot even after throwing a flashbang grenade near Robinson to determine whether he was still a threat, court documents allege.
The medical examiner later determined 59 bullets struck Robinson, 17 of them creating exit wounds.
In October of 2021, a Fulton County grand jury indicted Clayton County Police Officer Kristopher Hutchens and Deputy U.S. Marshal Eric Heinze on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, burglary, making false statements, and violating their oath of office. Both men later entered pleas of not guilty.
A video recorded by a bystander will possibly be used as evidence in the trial.
The murder trial begins two weeks after a federal appeals court ruled that a separate civil lawsuit can proceed against Heinze and the estate of Fulton County Detective Doyle, who died in 2020. Robinson’s mother, Monteria Robinson, and her son’s estate filed the suit alleging that the officers used excessive force, violating her son’s civil rights.
A jury trial is expected in the federal trial at a later date.
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